It is known to provide modular network wall outlets but the known devices are not without difficulties and complications as regards their manufacture and/or installation.
Conventionally the components making up the outlet devices are mounted on a face plate component adapted to be mounted on to the front of a wall plate. The face plate conventionally carries a member defining a jack plug socket, a member carrying an array of cable terminals, i.e. IDC terminals, and a printed circuit board connecting an array of contacts in the socket with the IDC terminals. In such an arrangement, the socket forming member will normally have to face in a direction opposite to that of the IDC terminals. Thus the socket will be arranged to open through the face plate while the IDC terminals will be arranged to project from the rear of the face plate so that they are accessible for connection to a network cable by an installation engineer.
It is an object of the invention to provide a network outlet device which is relatively easy to manufacture or assemble in that the main electrical components, i.e. the terminals (e.g. IDC terminals) and the socket member can be assembled on a single printed circuit board, and preferably all on the same side of the board.
It is a particular object of the invention to provide an outlet device in which the terminals are separable from the part of the device by which it is fixed in position during use, e.g. the face plate, to facilitate installation.
It is another object of the invention to provide a network outlet port which facilitates installation.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an electrically shielded network outlet port.
It is a yet further object of the invention to provide a network wall outlet made from relatively simple components.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a wall outlet which lends itself to a situation where limited space, and particularly limited depth, is available.
The outlet in accordance with the invention facilitates installation in that the assembly comprising the cover carrying the printed circuit board which in turn carries the jack socket and the electrical connectors can be wired to an electrical cable before the cover is mounted on the back box or back box-and-face plate assembly. Thus, the installation engineer can wire the outlet without having first to pass the tail of the cable through a wall plate aperture, as is normally the case.
The invention thus provides an improved electrical outlet.
The present invention is an electrical outlet device comprising a member defining a socket aperture, means defining a socket aligned with the socket aperture and having an array of electrical contacts therein and means by which the outlet device is secured in position in use, characterised by a body member having a plurality of electrical connections for conductors in a cable, and by means forming electrical connections between the cable connections and the array of electrical contacts in the socket, and in that the body member is releasably connected to the socket aperture defining member.
The socket aperture defining member may carry the means by which the outlet device is secured in position in use. The means defining the socket may be mounted on the body member. The body member may be a push fit on the socket defining member. Snap-action connections may be provided to releasably connect the body member and the socket aperture defining member. The snap-action connectors may be arranged for engaging opposed ends of the respective said members.
The socket aperture defining member may be a face plate adapted for reception in or on a wall plate to secure the outlet device in position in use. The face plate may comprise a front face member, a pair of flanges extending rearwardly from positions adjacent to opposed ends of the rear of the front face member, means limiting the depth of insertion of the face plate into an aperture in the wall plate and the pair of flanges being adapted for releasably receiving the body member.
The body member may be a cover formed as an open-topped box-like structure. The cover may be secured to the said socket aperture defining member by means of a back box adapted to mate snugly with the cover to form a closed box-like structure enclosing electrical components of the outlet device. The back box may be an open-topped box-like structure. The closed box-like structure may comprise metal plated plastics mouldings forming an electrical shield enclosing the outlet device.
The outlet device may comprise a shutter for closing the aperture in the member, the shutter being slidably mounted between the member and back box, and being resiliently urged to close the aperture.
The electrical outlet device may comprise a printed circuit board carried by the cover and which forms the conductor means for connecting the cable connections to the contact array in the socket defining member. The socket defining member may be mounted on the printed circuit board. The printed circuit board may carry a cable retaining strap adapted to be secured to the cable. The cable retaining strap may be electrically connected to an earthed portion of the printed circuit board. The cable retaining strap may be electrically connected to the shielding provided by the metal plating on the closed box-like structure. The cable restraining strap may be adapted for connection to the shielding around the electric cable.
The outlet device may comprise snap-action connections securing the cover and the back box together.
It will be understood that the socket device of the present invention enables an installation engineer to fit a computer network cable to the cover while it is separated from the face plate, thus facilitating the installation process, whereas with a conventional socket device, the tail of the network cable must be passed through the aperture in the wall plate which is to receive the face plate, before the cable can be connected to the socket device. Thus with the device of the present invention, the cable tails can be shorter.